Preamble

The Government Orders were read, and postponed.

Preamble

The House met at Eleven of the Clock, Mr. SPEAKER in the Chair.

Oral Answers to Questions — ROAD ACCIDENTS.

Lieut.-Colonel J. SANDEMANALLEN: 3.
asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, as a result of the special return which he has recently obtained from all police forces in England and Wales, he can state the number of fatal and non-fatal road accidents; and the number of persons killed and injured in those accidents in the first nine months of this year, with corresponding figures for the first nine months of last year?

Lord ERSKINE: I have been asked to reply. The returns of road accidents furnished by the police are not generally available until the end of the calendar year to which they relate. It was considered desirable this year to ask for a special return in respect of the first nine months of this year. As the figures are in tabular form, I propose to circulate them in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Following are the figures:

Road Accidents caused by Vehicles and Horses in England and Wales in the 6rst nine months of 1933, with corresponding figures for 1932:

Oral Answers to Questions — STANDING ORDERS.

As amended, to be printed

MESSAGE FROM THE LORDS.

That they have agreed to,—

Expiring Laws Continuance (No. 2)

Bill, without Amendment.

Amendments to—

Local Government Bill [Lords],

Protection of Birds Bill [Lords],

Ministry of Health Provisional Order Confirmation (Wellington, Salop) Bill [Lords], without Amendment.

Ministry of Health Provisional Order Confirmation (Worthing) Bill,—That they communicate that they have come to the following Resolution, namely:-
That leave be given to suspend any further proceedings on the Bill which was introduced into this House in the present Session of Parliament, and which has passed this House and been sent to the House of Commons, in order to proceed with the Bill in the next Session of Parliament, provided that all fees due thereon up to this day be paid:

That a copy of such Bill shall be deposited in the Office of the Clerk of the Parliaments not later than Three o'clock on or before the third day on which the House shall sit after the next meeting of Parliament, with a declaration annexed thereto, certified under the seal of the Minister of Health and stating that the Bill is the same in every respect as the Bill at the last stage of the proceedings thereon in this House in the present Session:

That the proceedings on such Bill shall be pro formâ only in regard to every stage through which the same shall have passed in the present Session, and that no new fees be charged in regard to such stages:

That the Standing Orders by which the proceedings on Bills are regulated shall not apply to such Bill in regard to any of the stages through which the same shall have passed during the present Session."

Preamble

The Government Orders were read, and postponed.

ROYAL ASSENT.

Message to attend the Lords Commissioners.

The House went; and, having returned,

Mr. SPEAKER(standing in the Clerk's place at the Table): I have to acquaint the House that the House has been to the House of Peers, where a Commission under the Great Seal was read authorising the Royal Assent to—

1. Superannuation (Ecclesiastical Commissioners and Queen Anne's Bounty) Act, 1933.
2. Expiring Laws Continuance Act, 1933.
3. British Nationality and Status of Aliens Act, 1933.
4. Firearms and Imitation Firearm (Criminal Use) Act, 1933.
5. Local Government Act, 1933.
6. Protection of Birds Act, 1933.
7. Road and Rail Traffic Act, 1933.
8. Ministry of Health Provisional Order Confirmation (Warwick) Act, 1933.
9. Ministry of Health Provisional Order Confirmation (Wellington, Salop) Act, 1933.

And to the following Measure passed under the Provisions of the Church of England Assembly (Powers) Act, 1919: Benefices (Sequestrations) Measure, 1933.

PROROGATION.

HIS MAJESTY'S MOST GRACIOUS SPEECH.

Mr. SPEAKER: I have further to acquaint the House that the Lord High Chancellor, being one of the High Commissioners, delivered His Majesty's Most Gracious Speech to both Houses of Parliament, in pursuance of His Majesty's Commands, as followeth:

My Lords and Members of the House of Commons: I rejoice to observe the steady improvement in trade and employment among My People.

Trade Agreements, which will, I trust, be found mutually advantageous, have been concluded with a number of foreign countries. Negotiations with other countries for the conclusion of similar Agreements will shortly be begun.

I have been gratified to learn that the question of Flag Discrimination in Portuguese ports, which has for some years been a subject of discussion, has now been satisfactorily settled by an Agreement between My Government and that of the Portuguese Republic.

I had pleasure in welcoming to London in June last the delegates to the session of the World Monetary and Economic Conference. My Prime, Minister acted as President of the Conference at the request of the Council of the League of Nations.

Considerable progress was made with certain questions but owing to unexpected developments in the international monetary and financial situation the Conference was, to My regret, unable to reach conclusions on certain important matters before its adjournment on the fflth July. It is, however, satisfactory that a joint declaration as to their views on some of the, principal subjects raised at the Conference was drawn up by Delegations of the British Commonwealth and published. The Conference has left in being suitable organisations charged with the task of fixing the date of reassembly and of making the preliminary arrangements necessary for the purpose.

My Government have throughout taken an active part at the Disarmament Conference, and the British Draft, which was presented on the 16th March, was adopted in June last as the basis of the proposed Convention. 1 earnestly trust that the difficulties which have since arisen may be surmounted. The withdrawal of Germany a month ago from the deliberations at Geneva has necessarily dislocated the programme, but the work for international disarmament by agreement between nations must be vigorously pursued.

Members of the House of Commons:: I thank you for the provision you have made for the public service.

My Lords and Members of the House of Commons:: The continued willingness of My People to bear heavy sacrifices has made it possible for this country, almost alone among the great countries of the world, to maintain a satisfactory balance between its national income and expenditure.

Confidence has been restored by the pursuit of a sound financial policy, accompanied by the establishment of a reasonable measure of protection for the industry of the United Kingdom. The steps taken to promote the reorganisation of various sections of agriculture and the sea-fishing industry have not yet had time to show their full results, but I. am pleased to note that there are already definite signs of improvement.

The. numbers of the unemployed, though still unhappily far too large, have fallen substantially and continuously in recent months, despite the usual seasonal trend in the opposite direction.

Bills have received My assent providing for the amendment and continuation of the Rent and Mortgage Interest (Restrictions) Acts, for the reorganisation of London passenger
transport, for the licensing and regulation of goods motor vehicles, for the consolidation of the law relating to children and young persons and for the. amendment of the law relating to the national status of married women.

A number of other Measures of public utility have been passed into law.

I pray that the blessing of Almighty God may rest upon your labours.

Then a Commission for Proroguing the the Parliament was read in the House of Lords.

After which the LORD CHANCELLOR said:

My Lords and Members of the House of Commons,—By virtue of His Majesty's Commission, under the Great Seal, to us and other Lords directed, and now read, we do, in His Majesty's Kame and in obedience to His Majesty's Commands, prorogue this Parliament to Tuesday, the twenty-first day of November, one thousand nine hundred and thirty-three, to be then here holden; and this Parliament is accordingly Prorogued until Tuesday, the twenty-first day of November, one thousand nine hundred and thirty-three.

End of the Second Session (opened Tuesday, 22nd November,1932) of the Thirty-sixth Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, in the twenty-fourth year of the Reign of His Majesty King George the Fifth.